5 Facts About the Higher-Ed Work Force Right Now

In any other year, the arrival of summer would usher in a slower pace on college campuses. But as the global pandemic continues, the end of the academic year has institutions frantically preparing for an uncertain future, and responding to and anticipating further financial upheaval.

Many plans have surfaced, with details still to come. But what’s already clear is that faculty and staff members are experiencing the brunt of the impact. Furloughs and layoffs are underway at various institutions, with more expected. The size of higher education’s work force will shrink as hiring is frozen while institutions take on new duties.

The employees who are left will face the challenge of trying to navigate classrooms, offices, and other parts of campus in line with public-health standards. Many have already expressed reluctance to return to their institutions in the fall.

Here are five ways that the pandemic has already strained — and will continue to challenge — higher education’s work force: